Bankers drive Buy-a-Brick initiative

WINDHOEK, Feb. 23 – Standard Bank employees have proved to be a powerful driving force behind the Bank’s Buy-a-Brick initiative through various ingenious fundraising methods that have yielded positive results.

“The past week saw Blue Bankers from Swakopmund and some from Windhoek execute their fundraising events, paving way for many more such events by our employees. We are proud to see that they have taken ownership of this initiative which has and will continue to benefit a lot of Namibians,” Standard Bank’s PR and Communications Manager, Surihe Gaomas-Guchu, said this week.

The Bank’s employees in Swakopmund held a peaceful public awareness walk through the town on Saturday, 10 February, while the Windhoek branch held a fashion show at the Olympia swimming pool on Saturday, 17 February.

The Bank’s Flagship Buy-a-Brick initiative, in collaboration with the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN), was launched in 2015 with the aim of raising funds for the Federation’s members so they can build brick houses, moving from the shacks they once called home.

“Charity begins at home, we are proud to see that our Blue Bankers are embodying this sentiment and giving back to their communities,” she stressed.

The Bank’s Swakopmund Branch Manager, Gerhardus Cloete, expressed his gratitude towards not only the employees, but also the members of the public who came to show their support to the cause.

“I want to sincerely thank everyone who made this walk possible because we could not have done this without the help from all of you. The objective of our walk was to create awareness about this awesome initiative that is Buy-a-Brick and advocate change for the community of Swakopmund by contributing to help alleviate the housing shortage in Namibia,” Cloete explained.

He added that everyone in attendance was very excited; making the walk interactive, while setting a great energetic ambiance. The public was also very curious about the initiative, asking a lot of questions and donated N$5 or more to the cause.

“We were also joined by members of the federation, the Namibian Navy Band and the Municipality of Swakopmund Traffic Division. I want to sincerely thank them again and I am proud of the Swakopmund Buy a Brick committee that worked so hard,” he said.

The Blue Bankers walked from the Magistrates Court in Tobias Hainyeko Street turning into Sam Nujoma Avenue and ended at Shoprite in town.

The Windhoek Branch’s Account Support Officer, Dennis Damaseb and Team Leader of Account Support, Desmond Diergaardt, who spearheaded the fashion show, also expressed their appreciation to the staff and the members of the public who supported the event.

The fashion show featured garments from the College of the Arts students made from unconventional materials, collections from local designers and traditional attire sourced by staff members. The Blue Bankers also modelled the garments as a show of solidarity.

The minds behind the fashion show also said their team was glad to do whatever it is they could to contribute to the initiative because alleviating the housing shortage in the country is everyone’s responsibility.

With a contribution of only N$5 or more, every Namibian can contribute to making a difference and alleviating the housing shortage in the country by placing their deposits into the Standard Bank’s Buy a Brick Account: 60001469613. – NDN Staffer